It has been over a week now since we said goodbye to Patrick, the tears have stopped flowing – well, as long as I don't think of that rocking horse – but it seems I still need a bit more closure before I'm ready to move on. So here is my last Offspring recap, I'm sorry for the delay; in a case of bad timing the finale coincided with a long-planned family holiday, but to be honest I probably needed the week to collect myself anyway.

It really was quite an episode, one of the best of the series, and I feel a bit guilty for saying that considering Patrick wasn't in it, although that's not strictly true because the Offspring finale really was a very Patrick episode. He was everywhere. His absence left a mark on nearly every scene and strangely enough you could say his presence was felt more in this episode than any other.

The loss was apparent from the get-go. We have become used to the show starting with Nina and Patrick in bed together, in fact it's my favourite way for Offspring to begin, and so it was for the finale, except this time it was just Nina in bed. We were immediately hit with the loss of Patrick. His absence from the bedroom planted him firmly in our minds and there he stayed for the next hour.

Family union ... For a fleeting moment Patrick and Nina were together with their baby.

Instead of the usual kisses and cuddles, and sometimes a little something more, Nina was lying there alone, feeling "completely numb" and wondering how on earth you "grieve for a man and prepare for a baby at the same time". The answer to that, I'm afraid, is with great difficulty. This will most likely be the hardest thing that Nina will ever have to face, which was brought home by Geraldine saying "I never thought I'd have to see my child handle something like this".

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As Nina struggled to process how life continues as if nothing has changed, we experienced something similar as Offspring continued without Patrick but with all the hallmarks we know and love – Billie returned and provided both pathos and quirky humour, Mick and Jimmy were back together and on a mission, the Proudmans gathered and Martin delivered the laughs (I loved that tattoo scene!) – there was even a wild goose chase at the end.

The show must go on, as it were, and so it did. But there were some key differences, of which the settings were probably the most noticeable – the family gathered at Kate's house rather than at Proudman HQ; we had a rare dose of the everyday with Geraldine and Philip dashing around a baby shop, and we not only had a second hospital but a church and a hotel as well. It was an extraordinary episode rooted in the ordinary. Even something as subtle as the lighting felt different and the beautiful poolside setting, which delivered one of the show's most poignant scenes, provided an atmosphere new to Offspring. It was a far cry from the hospital rooftop car park that featured so heavily in last year's season finale (oh, how long ago that feels!).

Offspring season 4

Did I mention crying? Yes, there was plenty of that too. Patrick, who was nowhere and everywhere at the same time, was the impetus of action in nearly every scene, from his funeral (of course) to Mick and Jimmy searching the cinema for Billie, as well as the hotel scenes, and when it looked like we were moving on he appeared in Nina's imagination as if to make sure we didn't forget him. These moments were a rare treat because, let's face it, we didn't need Nina to help us imagine him there. He was never far from our minds and therefore the tears were never far either.

Patrick was an inescapable force, and while his face may have been ever-present at the funeral, his presence was never more palpable than at the wake when Nina discovered the rocking horse he had been building in Kate's garage. I don't know about you but I have never cried over a rocking horse before and this was a no-holds-barred tearjerker. The simple home-crafted toy seemed to symbolise Patrick's hope and excitement for the future and more keenly showed what he (and we) lost more than kind words at a funeral ever could. Nina said in her eulogy that Patrick would be an incredible father but it was the rocking horse that made us feel it. It finally cracked through Nina's resolve and any that was left of mine also quickly disappeared.

Thankfully relief soon appeared in the form of Billie and an unlikely hotel booking. Like Nina we needed a change of pace and so we moved to the second act, which served as a transition from the past to the present. A lesbian mix-up at the check-in counter gave us the laugh we needed, and not long after a noisy neighbour's ecstasy/pain finally gave Nina a way to crack through the sads, to borrow and somewhat mangle Kim's expression.

In body as well as spirit ... Patrick was ever-present in the finale.

But of course hearing another couple's copulation highlighted what wasn't happening in Nina's hotel room. Instead she was lying on the king-sized bed with Billie, who was reminiscing about her last moment with Patrick. She tells us he did what Mick and Jimmy failed to do and found her at Ange's place. "He did his cryptic crinkly eye thing," said Billie. "He just listened to me, he didn't pressure me at all, he was amazing." To which I reply: of course he was, the Offspring creators were determined to make him as saintly as possible before killing him off. But it did give us an excuse to see him again, albeit in silence and in surreal close-ups, and we ate it up.

The story brought another flood of tears, and Nina, who couldn't sleep, decided she wanted to go for a swim, and with it came the real gift of moving our two heroines to the hotel. The poolside setting was beautiful but also secluded in an other-wordly way and was the perfect location for a heart-to-heart. Billie and Nina were cocooned in a space of their own, and in terry towelling robes, and Nina, so far the epitome of grace under pressure, opened up about the terrible thoughts that have been swirling behind the calm facade. "I'm scared I'm not going to love [the baby] enough," she said. And worse still: "I've been making bargains in my head."

Admitting that part of you wanted to give up the baby to get your partner back can't be easy and kudos to Offspring for not being afraid to go there. It was heartbreaking because it was so relatable. Billie thankfully tells Nina that it is perfectly normal and then delivers the line we won't forget: "I'll cover for you. I'll love the baby until you're ready to."

It was a stunning moment, and, bugger, there go the waterworks again! (Ours this time, not Billie's or Nina's.) Because I'm a glutton for punishment I watched this episode twice and the second time around allowed me to see just how perfectly Asher Keddie and Kat Stewart were in this moment. If I had my way the two of them would be sharing the Gold Logie next year.

Offspring has always deftly balanced heavy scenes with light moments and even in the finale the show was careful never to get too maudlin, and so Billie followed that show-stopping line with a more typical Billie-ism. As Nina stepped into the pool, she said: "You're like a giant sea mammal stranded on land." Yep, that's more like it!

And just when it seemed that Patrick had been replaced, he reappeared, quite literally, in the pool with Nina. Wet yet fully dressed (in the clothes he died in) he kissed Nina as she all-too-briefly escaped into her imagination. With that moment we kissed the past goodbye and welcomed the future as Nina, after a restorative nap, swiftly went into the full throes of labour (TV has no time to portray the actual length of labour).

The third and final act was a wild ride as Billie and Nina raced to the hospital with Nina backseat driving between contractions. They pulled over in an alleyway (it is Melbourne after all) for Billie to check on Nina's progress. She opened the car door at Nina's head and Nina screamed "the other end". Billie then dutifully checked the other end and cried out in a very Billie fashion "baby head, baby head". After a quick call to Kim at the hospital (who expertly reads Nina's groans – yes, the baby is coming), Billie and Nina were off again.

Meanwhile the rest of the Proudman gang were racing around trying to find the right hospital. It's fast-paced and fun and culminates with Nina on all fours in the elevator – the scene of many an awkward moment for her – crying out "I'm not giving birth in this f---ing lift". You can't blame her for that one! Instead she gives birth in the f---ing hallway just outside the lift.

With Martin and Kim on a wild goose chase between floors Eloise is the staff member left to see Nina through her birth. What a strange journey it has been for her character – who ever would have thought that the woman we were all afraid of at the beginning of the season, the one "peeling Patrick's sweet potato", would end up gently cradling Nina's head and calling the shots during her labour. It is both better than we imagined but also so much worse, because of course it's Patrick that we imagined in her place.

Eloise didn't however get to be the one who delivered the baby, that honour went to (of course) Billie. Offspring likes to keep these things in the family.

And she really was; the Offspring makers seem to have found the most attractive newborn available to play Nina's baby.

No sooner had Nina experienced her first cuddle with her daughter – complete with entwined fingers and close ups of tiny baby hands that were just too adorable for words – than the Proudman family as well as Kim and Martin finally turn up. Yes, it was a very Offspring birth.

We soon return to normal with Nina ensconced in a hospital room surrounded by the Proudmans proudly clucking over her baby girl. Kate is also there for a cuddle, which was a nice touch; I'm glad she had a better hospital scene to end on.

Finally the extended family is gone and in their place is Patrick, standing by the wall in his usual relaxed, slightly off-centre stance, and he is giving Nina the smile that Kate described as "like you have won a prize". He moves across the room to join Nina on the end of her bed and to meet his baby girl. For a brief perfect moment he, Nina and the baby are all holding hands together. The new parents gaze into each other's eyes as we are treated to a scene of how it should have played out. Unfortunately it isn't real and after a close-up on Nina the camera pulls back to reveal that Patrick has gone.

The departing shot of the season sees Nina smiling down at her baby. It's a moment that treads a fine line between hope and heartbreak and thankfully her smile has us ending on the right note. The episode was a beautiful tribute to Patrick, no less than he deserved, and it also provided a positive nod to the future, and how incredibly fitting that the season finale ended on a scene with the lead character's offspring.

It was a near-perfect hour of television, one that was unfortunately filled a week later with the much-advertised Wonderland. For those of us desperately hoping it would fill the Offspring void we were left disappointed, if anything it seemed to be the anti-Offspring. The characters were a little too young, a little too immature and surprisingly conventional – something that Offspring never is.

So now we live in wait for season five. Will Mick and Billie find their way back to each other? Will we pick up where we left off or will we jump forward in time, say to the baby being six months old? And what will Nina name her daughter? (No, I don't imagine it will be Patricia!) And who will take the place of Patrick? Nina most likely won't have a love interest for a while but there is still the all-important role of TV hunk to fill, and whoever he is he has very big shoes to fill!

What better note could there be to end on than handsome television heroes? Thank you for reading these Offspring recaps, I've loved receiving your comments, emails and tweets. Here's to next year!

13 comments so far

Natalie, I was so missing your recap the day after it aired. You've captured everything perfectly. Thank you. And yes the rocking horse reveal brought on the waterworks for me too.

Commenter

Jackie

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 7:30AM

You know a show got to you when you cry again reading the recap over a week later. That pool scene!!!

Commenter

Sarah

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 8:38AM

Loved your recaps Natalie but for me the main thing in Offspring was the Nina/Patrick love story, it was gorgeous and without that the show has lost it's appeal for me. Good luck with the recaps, I will maybe read from time to time but will never again be do engaged with the show. Also angry with producers/writers for not giving Patrick the happy end he deserved, at least to have let him hold his baby once. Pretty heartless for what I thought was essentially a feel-good show.Also they seem to be blaming MLN for wanting out which is a lie if yo read/watch the interviews with him

Commenter

PamW

Location

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 9:22AM

I just don't get why everyone loved Patrick so much! He was always such a downer, and frequently made Nina feel bad about herself. Of course his character improved towards the end of the season, but thats because the writers were preparing the audience for his death. He and Nina were never suited, and the writers touched on this in the scene where Nina is at councelling alone, and says the truth I had been thinking throughout their relationship - that she was scared they were not suited. Of course this was soon forgotten, and I don't blame her. She was pregnant to him after all, the alternative was too complicated. Next season has been set up perfectly for move away from relationship Nina, back to family Nina- the story has never been about Nina's relationships, it's always been about family. Hence the title of the show. I think the next season will begin with Nina going back to work a few months later, and Billie will be the baby's nanny.

Commenter

Emily

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 11:08AM

Sounds like a pretty boring story line to me Emily. To me the strength of Offspring was the chemistry between Nina and Patrick

Commenter

PamW

Location

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 2:31PM

+ 1 Emily!!! He was a bit of an eye-candy cardboard cutout I think. There was much more chemistry between the lovely Chris Havel than Patrick. It just never made sense when Nina chose Patrick at the end of Season 2... such a let down!

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mackie

Location

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 3:48PM

Oh what empty lives some people must lead if they get so upset over the death of some FICTIONAL character on some over hyped TV show. Get over it people,you're being manipulated by some script writer whose only task is to play on people's emotions in order to garner ratings for their employer - the shows maker and the network broadcasting it. And judging by the comments to date from the gullible and emotionally manipulated, that person certainly has earned their pay in this instance.

Commenter

sage

Location

Date and time

August 24, 2013, 4:36PM

In other news, 1300 people including children were gassed this week.

Commenter

Herbert Wong

Location

Date and time

August 25, 2013, 5:27PM

good point

Commenter

Konga

Location

Date and time

August 26, 2013, 7:53AM

It's like a country practice, when Molly died, except in this case it was simply convenient plotting around the availability of talent . All the while Ricky is doing Derek on he ABC, and that is ground breaking and could actually be perfect tv/ art. Nothing against the actors from offspring, I'm sure they are working hard, but these stories are not new let alone believable. Derek, the sopranos, offspring - one of these does not belong